A conventional socket for a BGA package is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3737078, issued Nov. 4, 2005, by way of example. This patent shows a socket that is capable of mounting or dismounting an electronic device that includes a semiconductor device of the surface mount type such as BGA or CSP.
According to the patent, the socket includes a base member, a cover member, a plurality of contacts, an adaptor which is capable of moving in a direction toward or away from the base member and which offers a mounting surface for a BGA, a latch member rotatably mounted on the base member and a positioning mechanism that moves in linkage with the movement of the cover member.
In addition, there are sockets that are opened and closed by a cover member rotatably mounted on the base member and that mount a semiconductor device, such as BGA, or the like, on the base member with means causing the cover member to engage in an alternating motion. These sockets have a plurality of contacts in the shape of a pin grid array protruding from the bottom, the contacts being inserted into through holes formed on the circuit substrate where they are soldered.
The socket for semiconductor devices is mounted on a circuit substrate for measurement of electrical properties and reliability of the semiconductor device that has been mounted therein. For this mounting, the contacts of a socket and the circuit substrate are directly soldered as described above, with a result that it becomes difficult to disengage the socket.
Although it is conceivable to substitute the contacts of the socket with probe pins, the shape of the contact of a socket is complicated and, if it is used, the cost of the socket becomes extremely high.